SF’s Pink Triangle of Twin Peaks Installation and Ceremony (2024)

Submitted by the Event Organizer

The PINK TRIANGLE of Twin Peaks is a highly-visible yet mute reminder of inhumanity and recalls one the darkest chapters in human history – the Holocaust. It is nearly an acre in size and can be seen for 20 miles and is a giant in-your-face educational tool. It’s a WARNING and a REMINDER of what has happened in the past and might happen again if we aren’t vigilant.

The Pink Triangle is a “community-building event” and education project which brings together LGBTQs with families from across the Bay Area who volunteer to help install the huge display and learn about us person-to-person. Hundreds show up. Many families bring children to meet us as individuals and learn the “History of the Pink Triangle” during the ceremony. It really does “take a village” to make this enormous Pink Triangle happen year after year. Please volunteer!

INSTALLATION: starts at 7am, but you can show up any time before 9AM. Then we set up for the ceremony which starts at 10:30AM. All ages are welcome. Everyone who volunteers gets a very fashionable Pink Triangle t-shirt. There are numerous volunteer opportunities which are spread over a four days in June. Pick one, or many. A sign up link and more info is at www.thepinktriangle.com. A waiver must be signed onsite to volunteer, then you will be given your t-shirt and allowed on the hillside. Wear sunscreen, wear closed-toes shoes, bring gloves and a hammer (if you have one – we have some extras).

CEREMONY: 10:30AM – Dignitaries include elected officials, grand marshals of the SF Pride Parade, other special guests, the SF Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band (the official band of San Francisco) and incredible musical theater star Leanne Borghesi. Help prevent the hatred of the past from recurring by helping education the public of what extreme hatred can to.

The Pink Triangle was originally used to mark homosexuals in Nazi concentration camps. It was revived in the 1970s as a symbol against homophobia, then was used “upside down” as a protest symbol during the height of the AIDS crisis (Silence=Death), and has been used to symbolize LGBTQ+ Pride ever since.

During the Holocaust triangles of various colors were used by the Nazis to identify each category of “undesirable”: yellow for Jews (overlapped to create a Star of David), brown for Gypsies, red for political prisoners, green for criminals, black for anti-socials, purple for Jehovah’s Witnesses, blue for immigrants, and PINK for homosexuals.

The yearly commemoration ceremony on Twin Peaks not only recalls the past when the Pink Triangle was created in the 1930’s, but always includes current day examples of such hatred and persecution occurring right now.

In addition, for those readers so inclined, they may please CONTRIBUTE to the Pink Triangle’s expenses by clicking here: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/san-francisco-lesbian-gay-freedom-day-parade-celebration-committee-inc/support-the-pink-triangle  One will receive an automatic receipt since donations are tax deductible.

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.